Stave trimming and jointing machine



(No Modem 4 sheets-sheet 1.

Wj. J. WRIGHT. STAVB 'IIRIMMING AND JOINTING MAG'HINE.

No. 492,702. Patented Feb. Z8, 1893.

l llllllllllllli iUllIlifi In www! (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. J'. WRIGHT.

SI'AVE TRIMMING AND JOINTING MACHINE.

Patented Peb. 28, 189s.

4A TTOHNE-YS (No Model.) 1 4 sheets'sheet- 3. W. J. WRIGHT. STAVE TRIMMING AND JOINTING MACHINE.

WWA/5835s,: I 'Y {fi/M42 Wwf'wf BY M A TTOHNEYS (NoModel.) f v W J WRIGHT STAVE TRIMMING AND JOINTING MAGHINE.

Imenw-Feb'. 28, 18943.

C0.. mom-urna.. WASHINGTON. uA c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM JAMES WRIGHT, OF COOPERSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

STAVE TRIIVIMINQ AND JOINTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 492,702, dated February 28, 1893.

' Application filed June 2, 1892. Serial No. 435,332. (No model.)

T all whom it may concern,.-

Beitknown that LWILLIAM JAMES WRIGHT, residing at Cooperstown,in the county of Venango and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stave 'lrimming and Jointing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to that class of stave making machines, in which the billet is first trimmed to a proper width, after which it is automatically fed into the machine; sucl: bi-.let in its course through the machine serving to automatically control and set the bevel cutting, and the bilge forming devices, whereby such devices will be operated to cut the bevel and form the bilge in exact proportions, relative to the different widths of the billet.

My invention has for its object to provide a machine of this character, simple and duray ble in its construction, of great capacity, positive and effectual in its operation and easy to manipulate; and to these ends it consists in the peculiar and novel combination of parts, and details of construction all of which will hereinafter be fully described in. the specification and pointed out in the claims reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a top plan View of my improved stave machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of onel end thereof, on the lineA 2 2 Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the machine taken on the iline 3-3 Fig. l looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 4 is a detail transverse section on the line 4 4 Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a detail side view and Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of one of the head blocks hereinafter referred to. Fig. 7 is aV sectional view of a modified way of supporting the trimmerl saw shafts. Fig. 8 is a detail view of a portion of the carrier link chain. Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic View hereinafter referredto. Figs. l0 and ll are detail views hereinafter referred to.

Referring to the accompanying drawings A indicates the main frame'formed with the end legs or supports a, a. and a center leg asuch legs being of a form shown most clearly in Figs. 3 and 4.

B indicates a central longitudinal bed rail, extending from the front to the back leg, and

such bed has a longitudinal V groove in its top to receive the endless chain carrier C presently referred to.

On the front end of the machine is an extension`D, which I term the billet bed, as it forms a rest for the billet before it is pushed into the machine.

E indicates a dovet-ail guide rail mounted transversely on the upper side beams a of the main frame upon which are mounted movable boxes H, which are adapted to be set toward orvfrom each other by a lever F pivoted centrally on the rail E between the inner ends of the boxes H, the inner end of such lever being extended as at f, while the outer end f is extended overthe billet bed D and formed with a handle portion as shown.

;By referring to Fig. l, of the drawings it will be noticed that to each of the sliding boxes His pivotally connected a link arm, one of which h. is pivotally yconnected to the inner end of the lever F, while the other h is connected to `such lever ata pointl forward of its fulcrum; and such construction it will be seen provides simple means` for moving the slide boxesH inward or outward by the different movements of the lever F. Thus, should the lever be swung in the direction indicated by the arrow, the boxes H will be drawn inward while'an opposite movement o f such lever will spread them outward. Each of the boxes H y has a downwardly and forwardly extending clutch arm I-I which engages the clutch and collar of a laterally movable saw I, mountedon the main frame in a manner mostclearlyshown" in Fig. 4 of the drawings, by reference to which, f Y itywill be seen, that each saw is fixedly mount-i ed upon a shaft J, held for longitudinal move'- ment in a hollow shaft J. and to turn therewith. -The shafts J' are mounted at their outer ends inxed bearingsj formed on the outer ends of the transverse supporting yoke jx while their inner ends are journaled in bearings j hung in boxes i2 secured to the side beams ax as shown,

K indicates drive pulleys on the shafts J belted with any of the main drive shafts in the usual manner and L are pulleys held on such shafts which are connected with the drive pulleys of the cutters hereinafter referred to.

By arranging the trimmer saw mechanism as shown and described, the operator by ad- IOO justing the lever F will move the slide boxes Hlaterally,which in turn moves the saw carrying shafts and the saws to the desired positions.

In some kinds of work and especially when great speed is desired, a single shaft J is inserted into the hollow shafts J which extends entirely across the machine, and on such shaft the saws are held for lateral movement they being formed with the clutch hubs, keyed to the shaft in a manner clearly shown in Fig, 7.

The endless carrier C before referred to is formed of a series of links c connected in the ordinary manner, but having their bottom faces tapered as shown most clearlyin Fig. 8, whereby such bottoms will fit the triangular or V groove in the top of the bed B and the V groove in the front bearing wheel LX and also over the drivewheel L mounted on the shaft M in the rear end of the machine, such wheel having an annular V groove formed with sprocket teeth I, over which the parallel links c fit and engage, and by which it is driven.

In operation the stave before reaching the trimmer saws, will engage the upper faces of the endless carrier links, which faces have prongs cx, and i-t will be carried along` by such carrier over the bed B and under a series of yielding pressure rolls N N, the shafts of which are journaled in boxes n n, each having vertical extensions fn. n itting in sockets O Oin the side beams ax of the frame, such extensions being held in such sockets for vertical movement therein by means of adjusting screws o o, which pass through apertures in the upper part of the beams ax, the heads of such screws serving to limit the downward movement ofthe extensions.

To hold the stave down in tight frictional contact with the carrier C, some of thev rolls N are held down by means of yoke arms P arranged to bear against the heads of the screws o o, and such yoke arms have their outer ends guided in slotted standards Q Q, the rear ends thereof being formed into Va single member R upon which is secured a transverse rod a8, the ends of which t in blocks a9 longitudinally adjustable on guides a iitted upon the under side of the side beams ax. These arms A5 are projected to a point in advance of the cutters B5 and are bent inward toward each other to a point nearly in line with thecutter blades b5 and are then ared outward and forward with flattened` enlarged heads AS which are normally arranged'in the path of the moving billet.

By connecting the spreader arms to the cutter heads as shown most clearly in Fig. l,the relation of the heads A8 and the cutters is such that as the arms A5 are spread apart the distance of the heads A8 will be slightly greater than the distance between the cutters; this provides for the cutters beginning to cut on the end of the stave at a point inside of the outer edges, so as to get the proper bilge cut.

It should be here stated that the bilge forming devices presently specifically referred to, are adapted to beset to different adjustments, whereby they can be set to forni bilges of different curvatures. It will also be understood that the greater the bilge, the farther inward from the outer edges of the stave, must the cutters begin to make the bilge cut. For this purpose I have connected the ends of the spreader arms in the manner before described. Thus by moving the blocks a7 toward the cutters, to change the fulcrum of such arms, the proportionalincreaseofthesweepofthefrontends of the spreader arms, over that of the outward movement of the cutters will be increased,

thereby setting the cutters to begin their cut nearer the center of the end of the stave, and by adjusting the said blocks a7 outward to increase the distance between the fulcru'm of the arms A5 and their connection with the cutter heads, the proportionate increase of the sweep of the ends of the said arms and the lateral movement of the cutters will be` decreased, thereby causing the cutters to engage the stave at a point nearer its outer edges, as clearly shown in the diagrammatic view Fig. 9.

The cutter head or supporting frames, are most clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and consist of yoke shaped frames C5 formed with downwardly and inwardly projecting curved arms CG, which are pivotedat the lower end upon a central longitudinal shaft C7, mounted on the middle leg a2 and a cross bar CS, and such frames are normally IOO IIO

forced inward by means of springs C9 intery posed between them and the side beams d10, of the main frame, such inward movement being however limited bythe stop set screws C10, on the upper extension C11 of the yoke frames which are adapted to engage the upper side beams ctx ofthe frame.

The cutter shafts C are mounted in the yoke frames and are provided with drive pulleys c7 which receive motion from the belts which connect them with the trimmer saw shaft as shown.

In brackets a12 projected outwardly from rthe side beams 0,10 of the main frame, are vmounted the bilge forming devices, which consist of the tubular head blocks D5 D5, fulcrumed near the upper ends between the brackets L12 in which are held to slide plunger rods D to which are centrally pivoted the lower ends of connecting rods d5, the upper ends of which are pivotally connected to studs d6 on the outer ends of the yoke bearings, the said lower ends passing through elongated slots Z7 in the upper face ofthe vlo tubularhead blocks as shown most clearly in Figs. 1 and 5. At their upper edges the.

tubular head blocks have ears d5 to which are pivotally connected by approximately universal joint couplings E5, the lower ends of pitman rods F5, the upper ends of which are adjustably rtted` in similar coupling blocks E5, adj ustably held`on slotted crank arms g5 g5, projected from a transverse shaft G5 journaled upon the side bars ax of the main frame. The shaft G5 is also formed with a slotted crank arm g5-to which is adj ustably pivoted a jointed bearing block h5 -to which is connected one end of a pitman rod H5, the opposite end of which is connected with a block ,7'5 pivotally connected to a crank arm J5 on the outer end of a transverse shaft K5 mounted upon the upper beams ctx at the rear end of the machine.

Fixedly mounted upon the shaft K5 is a gear Wheel L5 which meshes with an idler M5 lmounted in a swinging bearing M5 supported on the shaft K5, and which normally is adjacent to but out of contact with a gear N5 mounted upon a transverse shaft 015, the outer end of which has a sprocket wheel O5, which is driven by the chain belt P5 which passes over a sprocket wheel l5 on the drive shaft M of the endless carrier drive wheel L.

R5 indicates a cross head, disposed above and at a point infront of the cutters, centrally of which is hung a lifting arm S5, the lower end of which projects down in the path of the moving stave, the rear end of such arm S5 having an apertured ear in which is pivotally connected the forward end of the pitman rod T5, the rear end of which projects through an apertured block U5 which is pivotally connected to the swinging frame M5. It will be noticed by reference to Fig. lO, that the rod T5 has a fixed collar 155 in advance of the block U5, and about such rod between such collar and the block U5 is disposed a spiral spring V5, while upon the opposite end of the block U5 the rod T5 has an adjustable collar t7.

The manner in which the bilge forming devices are operated is as follows. So soon as the trimmed billet passes forward and engages the spreader arms, the cutter frames and cutters will be rocked outward, and such movement of the cutter frames will through the pivoted rods (d5) move the plunger rods D5 in the tubular head blocks D5 out to a degree proportionate to the out-ward movement of the cutter frames. Immediately after the billet setsthe spreader arms and before it reaches the cutters it engages the lifting arm S5 and swings it rearward, which movement through the rod T5 swings the frame M5 so the gear M5 will be brought into mesh with the gear N5, from which it then receives motion,

' which is then imparted to the gear L5 and the shaft K5 revolved thereby. .In practice the several gear wheels are of such a size that one revolution is imparted to the shaft K5 during.

the time it takes the stave to pass between the cutters, and to bring such shaft to a complete and accurate revolution even in case such a stave be of a fraction less, or more,in length, such shaft has a collar K5 formed with a fiat face K7 upon which a flat spring K8 normally bears and which will act to always bring the shaft to its proper normal position (see Fig, 2). It will be readily seen by referring to the aforesaid Fig. 2, that as a rotary motion is imparted to the shaft K5 a reciprocating or rocking motion will be immediately imparted to the shaft G5, and as the parts are arranged to travel in the direction indicated by the several arrows in Fig. 2 the shaft G5 as it is rocked will serve by its first movement to elevate the rods F5 and thereby cause the head blocks to be rocked upon their pivots, their front ends being as it were gradually elevated andthe rear ends depressed, such movements through the rods (d5) serving to gradually pull the cutter frames outward, until the center of the billet, shall have passed between cutters. At this time the shaft K5 will have made one half of a revolution and the shaft G5 reciprocated in a forward direction; a further movement of such shaft K5 then imparts a rearward reciprocation to the shaft G5 which in turn through its end crank arms, causes the rods F5 to move downward anddepress the inner ends of the head blocks and consequently elevate their outer ends which in turn then swings the cutter frames gradually inward to their place of beginning.

As a simple means for holding the plunger rods D5 to their adjusted `positions so soon as the billet sets the spreader arms, cams W5 which are pivoted to ears on the under face of the tubular head blocks, and such cams have their bearing faces projected up through slots in the head blocks as clearly shown in Fig. 6. Normally such cams are held so as to allow for afree movement of the plunger rods, such position being maintained by means of adjusting screws @15 on the side beams am against which inwardlyprojecting arms @U5 on such cams W5 are held to rest, springs w5 secured thereto and to the lower beams of the main frame being provided to hold these clamps against the screw stops; although they may be held thereagainst by gravity. It will be readily understood from Fig. 2, that so soon as the plunger rods have been set, and the front end of the head blocks are elevated, the springs will draw against the cams and cause them to biteagainst the plunger rods'and hold them to their adjusted positions. Y

By constructing the head blocks, pivotally supporting them, and arranging the plunger rods in the manner shown and described, it will at once be apparent, that as such plunger rods are set bythe different width staves, so its pivotal axis will be moved to or from the head block axis, agreater or less bilge movement will be imparted to the cutter frames,

I provide Ico such movement being governed entirely by the set of the plunger rods.

By connecting the lifting rods F5 to the 'slotted cranks g5, as shown, such connections can be quickly adjusted toward or from the shaft G5, and thereby increase or diminish the lifting of such arms, which adjustment provides for differential rocking motions to the head blocks, such adjustment thereby providing a simple and effective means for setting the entire bilge forming devices to form bilges of different curvatures.

As it is necessary that the shaft K5 remain geared with the shaft a5 during the entire operation of cutting the stave, I form the rods T5 at a point below its connection with arearwardly extending arm T5 which projects to a point in line with the rear edge of the cutters. It will thus be seen that after the rear end of the billet passes the lifter S5 it will engage the arm T6 and hold the rod T5 up, but so soon as the billet passes the arm T6 the lifter S5 will be forced down by the spring S5, to its lowermost position, thereby pulling the idler M5 out of contact with the gear N5.

As some of the billets are thicker than others, and too great a lifting pressure is imparted to the arm S5 and the rod T5 such arm after the gears M5 and N5 have been moved into mesh will have a limited movement in the block U5 see Fig. l0.

A5 indicates a drive shaft journaled on the main frame upon the upper end of which is a worm A4 which meshes with a worm wheel ZX on the shaft, see Fig. 2. I would state that in practice I prefer to arrange such shaft A5 for frictional contact with a frictional pulley on the main drive shaft B4 as shown in Fig. 1l and while I have not so shown it, it is manifest, suitably arranged shifting levers can be connected therewithfor shifting them into or out of contact.

Having-thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a stave trimming and jointing machine, the combination with the main frame and the transverse yoke jx formed with bearingsj at its outer ends, and the boxes and bearings jjz supported on the side beams ax of the main frame, of the hollow shafts J mounted in the bearingsjjz, the shafts J longitudinally movable in and held to turn with the hollow shafts J', the saws I mounted on Athe inner ends of the shafts J, lever mechanism for simultaneously adjusting the saw shafts J inward or outward and means for rotating the shafts J all substantially7 as shown and for the purpose described.

2. In a stave jointing machine, in combination the endless carrier, the cutter frames and cutters, held to be rocked laterally to such carrier, bilge forming devices connected v"therewith, spreader arms connected with the cutter frames, projected in advance thereof to be engaged by the passing stave, such arms having adjustable fulcrums on the main frame at the rear of the cutter frames, all arranged substantially as shown whereby the front contact faces of the arms can be adjusted to set the cutters to cut a greater or less bilge, by adjusting the fulcrums of such arms to or from the cutters as and for the purpose described.

3. In a stave jointing machine the combination with the main frame, the endless carrier and the laterally swinging cutter frames, of the spreader arms A5, pivotally connected near their front ends to the cutter frames, such front ends having contact faces adapted to be engaged by the passing stave, the longitudinally arranged guide rods a on th main frame the transverse rod d8 adjustably held thereon, and the slide blocks a7 longitudinally adjustable on the rear ends of the arms A5 and transversely adjustable on the rod a5, all substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a stave jointing machine, the combination with the main frame, the swinging cutter frames and cutters and the endless carrier passing between such cutter frames, bilge forming devices, including rocker head blocks and plunger-s operating therein,link arms,on the cutter frames pivotally connected with the plunger rods, intermittently operated gear devices,including reciprocating arms connected to the swinging head blocks, and lock camsy for holding the plungers to their adjusted position all arranged tov be automatically and successively operated by the moving stave, and whereby the movement lof the cutter frames will set the plungers to determine the bilge movement of such cutter frames whereby such movement is rendered continuous during the passage of the stave between the cutters as set forth.

5. In a stave jointing machine, the combination with the swinging cutter frames, the rotary cutters mounted therein and mechanism for carrying the billet between such cutters, of bilge formers arranged to be set to their initial position by the lateral or swinging movement of the cutter frames, devices for holding such formers to their adjusted position, and intermittent gear mechanism arranged to be set in operation by the passing stave and adapted to impart a reciprocating motion to the formers whereby to move the cutter frames on a proper bilge curve as and for'the purpose described.

6. In a stave jointing machine of the class described, the combination with the swinging cutter frames and the rotary cutters mounted therein,of a bilge forming device, comprising tubular rocker frames pivoted on the main frame, plunger rods movable therein, link arms pivotally connected to such rods and to the swinging cutter, frames whereby to move such plungers, as the cutter frames are swung on their pivotal axis, means for holding the tubular frames to their normal position, and locking devices, adapted to lock the plunger rods from movement when the tubular frames are rocked substantially as and for the purpose described.

IOO

IIC

7. In a stave jointing machine of the class described, the combination with the laterally swinging cutter frames and the revolving cutters mounted therein, of the tubular head blocks D5, slotted on their upper and lower faces, the plunger rods D5, operating therein the link arms cZ5pivotally connecting the pl ungers and the swinging cutter frames, the cams W pivoted on the head blocks D5, adapted to be out of contact with the plungersfwhen the head blocks are in their normal positions, and to engage the said plungers when such blocks are swung on their pivots, and means for rocking such head blocks, all substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. In a stave jointing machine of the class described the combination with the laterally swinging cutter frames and the revolving cutters mounted therein, the swinging tubular head blocks pivoted to the sides of the main frame, the plunger rods longitudinally movable thereon, the pivoted link connections d5 and the cam devices W5 for engaging the plunger rods, of the drive shaft M, the shaft 'n.5 geared therewith, provided with a gear N5, the rotary shaft K5 a swinging gear connection M6 mounted thereon, the rock shaft G5 connected with the shaft K5 and operated thereby, the crank arms g5, on said shaft G5 the rods VF5 connecting such crank arms and the head blocks, and mechanism connected to the swinging gear connection M5 adapted to be engaged by the passing stave whereby to gear the shafts K5 and 'a5 together during the operation of cutting all substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. In a stave jointing machine of the class described the 'combination with the main frame A, the drive wheels L L the endless carrier, mounted thereon, the laterally swinging cutter carrying frames, the bilge former head blocks pivotally mounted for a rocking movement on the main frame connected with the cutter frames, the shafts G5, formed with slotted crank arms g5 g5, the rods F5 adjustably secured at their upper ends kin said slotted cranks g5, their lower ends pivotally connected with the rocking head blocks and mechanism for imparting a rocking motion to the shaft G5 during the operation of forming the bilge cut on the billet all substantially as and for the purpose described.

l0. In a stave jointing machine substantially as described, the combination with the cutter, and the bilge forming mechanism, in-

cluding the head blocks adapted to be set to their initial point of operation by the passing billet, and the shaft n.5 geared with one of the drive shafts of the machine, of the shaft K5 provided with a gear 105, the swinging frame M5 held on the shaft K5, carrying an idler m5, the lifting arm S5 hung in the path of the moving billet in advance of the cutters the rod T5 connecting the frame M6 and the arm S5 and formed with arearward extension t5, and connections between the shaft K5 and the head blocks for imparting a rocking motion thereto all as and for the purpose described.

1l. In a stave jointing machine substantially as described the combination with the shaft K5,the drive shaft W5, the swinging gear carrying frame M6 and the pivotal lifter arm S5 of the rod T5 pivotally connected with the arm S5 at its front end, a block U5 pivotally connected to the swinging frame M5, such rod T5 having a yielding connection in the block U5 at its rear end as'and for the purpose described.

WILLIAM JAMES WRIGHT. Witnesses:

JACOB T. MEALs, WILLIAM M. PARKER. 

